Category: OCS Academics

Candidates, we are running a series of small posts which answer specific candidate’s questions. Feel free to submit questions as blog comments. If the information could help others, the question may be answered as a blog post under the Q&A category. Candidate Question: What is the class time to ‘work’ time ratio? Will you spend most of your time in the classroom or doing physical … Continue reading Candidate Q: USMC OCS Classroom Time

Candidates, there are so many motivators out there who bother me every day with questions like, “What more can I do to prepare for OCS?” that I am debuting a new series of posts. This summer’s posts will give you plenty of ways to use up all your time before OCS to get ready or motivated for your future Marine Corps life. The Commandant’s Professional … Continue reading Recommended Motivation: Are You Reading?

Although much of the time at OCS is spent in classroom time, and academics are 25% of candidates’ final grades, tests are probably one of the easiest challenges to overcome at OCS. Academic failures do send some candidates home, but in my experience leadership and physical fitness send more.

OCS Classroom on family day, final week Dec 2009

Academics takes a very routine process at OCS, not unlike in the rest of the Marine Corps.

The stages are illustrated here:

Death By Powerpoint

Classes are given by enlisted and officers who are knowledgeable in the particular subject with cookie-cutter outline powerpoints. Sometimes dry, these lessons are one of the enjoyable things about OCS for the optimistic candidate. I at least kept a good attitude about them throughout.

“Knowledge”

All candidates are given a book, called your Knowledge, and expected to study at night and at certain scheduled times of study, which are very helpful. It merely contains outlines of all the same powerpoints given by the instructors.

Informal discussions in the squad bay

Different staff members, including your sergeant instructors will have more informal lessons involving more questions-answer sessions and discussion in the squad bay after a few weeks. In my opinion, these were very helpful if somewhat long-winded, and you get treated like near-adults sometimes in these discussions. When the sergeant instructors tell stories of the fleet or their personal experiences, I remember paying rapt attention. Good training.

I just made a great find on OCS academics. These are real scans of chapters out of the 2009 (I think) Student outlines book, which you will call your “Knowledge” while at OCS. This is the real curriculum. If you are a motivator and want a leg up, having this stuff memorized would put you at a HUGE advantage when you get there. I remember … Continue reading Academics vs Sleep: The Math